French PM says man with 'burqa' wife has no place in France

France's prime minister said Wednesday he would sign a decree refusing French nationality to a man who forced his wife to wear the full Islamic veil, arguing he "has no place in our country." The case has arisen amid a fierce national debate about what it means to be French, with the government seeking to legislate for a ban on the head-to-toe burqa on the grounds that it is incompatible with French values.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon told Europe 1 radio that he would sign the decree issued by Immigration Minister Eric Besson. "It's French law," Fillon said. "The civil code has for a very long time provided that naturalisation could be refused to someone who does not respect the values of the (French) republic.

"This case is about a religious radical: he imposes the burqa, he imposes the separation of men and women in his own home, and he refuses to shake the hands of women. If this man does not want to change his attitude, he has no place in our country. In any case, he does not deserve French nationality."

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